Good “Peeples” – David Alan Grier and Kerry Washington Star in New Comedy

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Actor/ comedian David Alan Grier has had a lengthy career on screen and stage. This spring, he co-stars with Craig Robinson (“The Office”) and Kerry Washington in the new Tyler Perry produced “Peeples.” The former “In Living Color” star says that although it may seem as though the universal story of a suitor meeting his girlfriends’ parents was written for a “mainstream” cast and an All-Black cast was dropped in, that’s not the case at all. Tyler Perry lent his name and considerable cachet as producer, but he’s not the writer/director of “Peeples.”

“Tina Chism who is a first-time director, wrote it and directed it. She wrote the script for “ATL” and “Drumline,” Grier told the Tom Joyner Morning Show. “She wrote a script for “us.” It wasn’t like she took a project and said ‘Let’s paint it black.’ I mean do you talk about Blackness in every day of your life? That’s the one thing Tina and I never talked about. We just talked about how to make it real, how to make it fun, and how to make it work and the truth of that. I think that she wanted to show Black people with money, Black people at different stages of our society but still struggling with the same thing. I mean a family is a family. You bring someone home who’ s not a part of that family, they have to be jumped in.”

Grier says working with fellow comic Craig Robinson helped the movie up the comic ante.

“I never worked with Craig. I know him from comedy. We’d see each other in in clubs in passing doing sets around L.A. and it was always that conversation ‘Man, I’d love to work with you, Me, too, See ya,” says Grier. “And you know I love Kerry. This is the third time we’ve worked together and [now] I’m going to play your love interest. It’s going to be amazing.”

Sadly for Grier, in “Peeples” he plays Washington’s father. “We need you to grow the grey in,” Grier says. “I was like that’s not gray, that’s makeup!”

Veteran actors Melvin Van Peebles and Diahann Carroll star as well.

“Peeples” opens on Friday.

TEXT TOM AND WIN: Text “Peeples” to 0006464 and join the TJMS at the Allstate Tom Joyner Family Reunion in Orlando, FL Labor Day Weekend. You and your “peeples” can come hang out with our ‘peeples,” if you’re the winner.